The problem I have with Linux based OS is that on printing. If HP will develop native drivers with GUI on desktop Linux it would be great for consumers. I know there is hpijs and HP has already excellent driver support in Linux, but that is not enough and not on par with their support for Windows. Applications will follow in addition to the existing applications available in Linux. It would be easy for HP to let the existing applications run on WebOS I believe.

do you *like* the extra programs that Hp provides on windows to go with the drivers? I pretty much just avoid them as much as possible. Even gong as far as to not run their setup, but have windows find the drivers it needs on the driver cd and install them itself. No tray icons, no bloatware.

>do you *like* the extra programs that Hp provides on
>windows to go with the drivers?

Yes and No.

Yes, because:
You know we have existing HP printers, and that HP must support them with webOS if they are going to load it on their PCs, even if their target market is home users. I only need the UI to configure the printers right and integrate it nicely with existing Linux applications like LibreOffice and other productivity suites. So that printing in Linux will be easier than ever. No, no CLI configs anymore.

And No. Not those extra spywares. I will go for an HP repository for this purpose to add the optional extras like print monitoring etc., etc. So you see, sometimes,
we need more in addition to drivers, and for home users need _NOT_ to goto: /var/log/.

>I pretty much just avoid them as much as possible.
>Even gong as far as to not run their setup, but have
>windows find the drivers it needs on the driver cd and
>install them itself. No tray icons, no bloatware.

See above. In Linux, no need for a driver CD if you've got your PC online, since a driver CD for Linux isn't feasible if HP will distribute them across distros, but, if for webOS driver specific, then a driver CD is fine.

Actually, when I forced to install HP drivers I find myself longing for the Linux hpijs.

For me, hpijs under Fedora simply work out of the box. (Under Fedora with 4 different models of HP printers).
HP drivers / Windows, are complex to install and full of junk I don't really need.
Trying to find the admin-only version drivers (that ones that doesn't include all the junk) is not always possible.